Timing device



` May 14, 1940.,

T. R. sPALDlNG 2,200,586

TIMING DEVICE Filed July 8, 193B Y1 l Imis- @I x El; j

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ATTORNEYS Patente-cl May 14, 1940 PATENT', OFFICE TIMIN G DEVICE ThomasIt. Spalding, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to The K-W IgnitionCorporatiom/Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 8,1938, Serial No. 218,127

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to timing devices for periodicallyoperating an electric circuit or circuits, either to make or interruptthe same.

The principal object of the present invention 5 is the provision of anovel and improved timing device of the character referred to, simple inconstruction, reliable and stable in operation, low in currentconsumption, and operable in any position.

l The invention resides in certain novel details of construction,combinations and arrangements of parts, and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the artto which the invention relates from the following description of thepreferred embodiment thereof, described with reference to theaccompanying drawing forming a part of the speciiication.

Fig. 1 of the drawing showsa device embody- 20 ing the present inventionused to periodically complete one circuit and periodically interruptanother circuit for a predetermined interval of time.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of a portion of Fig.

25 l. with parts broken away to show the means of adjusting thevibrating contacts.

Referring to the drawing, the relay designated generally by thereference character A is of conventional construction comprising anoperating 30 coil Ill wound about a core II and a pair of normally openspring contacts I2 and I3, the righthand ends of which contact membersare insulated from but fixed to a bracket I4 formed yintegral with oriixed to a frame member I5, in

:l5 any convenient manner. The contacts I2 and I3 are adapted to beclosed upon energization of the operating coil Ill through the medium ofan armature I6 pivotally connected adjacent its right-hand end to theframe I5 by members I1.

The armature IB is continuously urged in a clockwise direction by atension spring I8 connected to the right-hand end of the armature and toa projection I9 on the frame I5. Move- A, ment of the armature I6 underthe actionv of the 4D spring I8 is limited by a stop member 20 xed tothe free end of the armature and adapted to engage underneath aprojection on the operating coil IIJ. The free end of the armature I6 isalso provided with an angular member 2|, made of insulating material,fixed thereto and provided with a small aperture 22 through which thefree end of the contact I2 projects. The construction is such that whenthe armature is drawn 55 towards the core II the upper contact I2engages purpose hereinafter referred to.

IIil, a manually controlled contact switch 4I, and

`the relay B, whereupon the armature 32 and the tacts I2 and' I3associated therewith to open, thus 'interrupting the operating circuitfor relay B `which, in turn, releases the spring member or lreed 29carrying the lower contact 21 of the nor- ,ma'lly closed contacts ofrelay B. When the ar (Cl. F75-320) the lower contact I3 completing anelectric circuit hereinafter referred to.

The right-hand relay, designated generally by the reference character B,comprises an operating coil wound about a core 28 and a pair of normallyclosed spring contacts 21 and 28 located in operative relation to thecore 26. The lower contact 21 is carried on or iixed to the free end ofa spring arm or reed member 29, the left-hand end of which is fixed to abracket 30 supported '10 on an insulating member 3l fixed to the upperend oi the operating coil 25 in any suitable manner. vA member 32 nxedto the underside of the free end of the spring member 29 serves as anarmature. The upper contact 28 is carried by -15 the free end of aspring arm or reed member comprising an upper member 34 made ofrelatively thin resilient material and having a curved portion 35 theleft-hand end of which is connected to a resilient member 36 having lessspring -20 tension than the member 35. The member 36 is connected aboutmidway between its ends to a member 31 which forms a support therefor.The right-hand end of the member 38 projects underneath the free end ofthe portion 35.1or a 25 The member 31 is carried by the member 3|previously referred to through the medium of a bracket 38.

The normally open contacts I2 and I3 of relay A are connected in serieswith a source of electrical energy, in the present instance a battery4U, and with the operating coil 25 of relay B, and the normally closedcontacts 21 and 28 of relay B are connected in series with the batterythe operating coil VI0 of relay A. When the 35 switch 4I is closed, theoperating circuit for relay `A is completed from the battery fm throughline 52, switch 4I, line 53, operating solenoid Il), line 54, spring arm29, lower contact 21, upper contact 28, spring arms 34 and 35, members31 and 33, and line 55 back to the opposite side of the battery 40operating relayA A to close the contacts I2 and I3, completing theoperating circuit for 4 lower contact 21 of the relay B are drawn towardo the core 26 and the spring arm or reed 23 which carries the sameilexed. As soon as the contacts 21 and 28 part, the operating circuitfor relay A is interrupted, permitting the normally open conmature 32and the lower contact 21 are released from the core 26 they springupwardly, and the contact 21 strikes the upper contact 28. Thereafterthe contacts vibrate or bounce for an interval of time depending uponthe characteristics of the spring arms 29 and 34 etc. The right-hand endof the spring member 36 which projects underneath the free end of thespring member 34 prevents the upper spring member from damping thevibration of the lower spring or reed member.

The frequency of the oscillations of the current in the operatingcircuit of relay A increases as the amplitude of the spring membersdecreases and the characteristics of the operating circuit of relay Aare such that lthe relay will not respond to the closing of the contacts21 and 28 of relay B until the frequency of the oscillations of thecurrent in the operating circuit thereof reaches a predetermined amountdepending upon the characteristics of the circuit. In other words theoperating circuit` for relay A will not be reestablished until thecontacts have almost stopped vibrating or bouncing. In the embodiment ofthe invention shown this condition is brought about `by means of aresistance 42 and a condenser 43 connected in series circuit with eachother and in parallel circuit with the op,- erating coil I0 of relay A.Preferably, provision is made for varying either the resistance or thecondenser, in the present embodiment the resistance 42, so that thecharacteristics of the circuit may be changed, or the circuit tuned,and, in turn, the interval of time that the circuit to the relay Bremains open adjusted. A variable condenser and a xedrresistance may beem ployed in place of the Xed condenser and variable resistance shown,if desired. If adjustment or variation of the time interval is notdesired a fixed resistance and a fixed condenser or some equivalentarrangement maybe employed. In order to further stabilize the operationof relay A a high resistance 44 is connected in shunt circuit with thenormally closed contacts of relay B.

The high resistance 44 connected in shunt circuit across the contacts ofrelay B and in turn across the operating circuit of relay A, causes asmall amount of current to flow through the operating coil of relay Aeven though the contacts of relay B are open. This continuous currentflowing through the operating coil of relay A causes the operating coilof relay A to maintain the contacts of said relay closed longer thanwould be the case in the event this current was not present. This has astabilizing effect on the relay in that there is less variation in thelength of time that the contacts of relay A are closed, than wouldotherwise be the case. Without this stabilizing current, the operationof the relay A insofar as the length of time that the contacts thereofare opened and closed, is more or less erratic but by increasing theperiod of time that the contacts are closed decreases the variationmentioned and stabilizes the mechanical operation of the relay.

The interval of time that the circuit to the relay B is maintained openmay also be varied by changing the characteristics of one or both of thespring or reed members 29 and 34. In the embodiment of the inventionshown, provision is made for damping the vibrations of the upper reedmember 34 through the medium of a screw 45 adjustably threaded into amember 46 carried by the bracket 43 and located above the curved portion35. The period of vibration of the reed member 34 may be shortened byturning the screw 45 in a right-hand direction thus projecting the endthereof further from the member 4B and into closer proximity to the reedmember. It will be understood that means other than that shown may bemade for varying the characteristics of the reed member, and in turn theperiod of vibration of the member.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the operating circuit forthe relay B will be periodically opened or deenergized for apredetermined interval of time by virtue of the fact that periodicallythe relay A is rendered inoperative for a time interval. The fact thatthe operating circuit to relay B is periodically deenergized for apredetermined time interval, which interval may be varied in thepreferred embodiment shown, can lbe taken advantage of to control anauxiliary circuit or circuits in various ways. shown an auxiliary relay41 is connected in series with the contacts i2 and I3 ol` relay A. Thisrelay 41`is energized simultaneously with relay B and is provided with aplurality of contacts 48 and 49, the upper of which controls a normallyopen circuit 50 while the lower contact 49 controls a normally closedcircuit 5l. It will be readily apparent that the auxiliary relay 41 maybe omitted and an auxiliary circuit controlled through the medium ofadditional contacts i controlled directly by the relay A, etc. The factthat the operating circuit of relay B is periodically energized can alsobe taken advantage of in a plurality of different ways to control anauxiliary circuit or circuits. However, any additional relay or the likeplaced in the o erating circuit of relay B will have an effect on thecharacteristics of the circuit and must be compensated for.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed with considerable detail, the invention is not limited to theparticular construction and arrangement shown which may be varied withinthe scope of the invention and it is my intention to hereby cover al1adaptations, modifications and arrangei ments thereof that come withinthe practice of those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In combination a pair of relays, means for causing the operation ofone of said relays to complete an operating circuit for the second ofsaid relays,-means for causing the operation of the second of saidrelays to interrupt the operating circuit for the first of said relays,and means for preventing the subsequent operation of the first of saidrelays for an interval of time, said last mentioned means comprising apair of normally closed contacts carried by reed members and operativelyassociated with the second of said relays.

2. In combination a pair of relays, means for causing the operationl ofone of said relays to complete an operating circuit for the second ofsaid relays, means for causing the operation of the second of saidrelays to interrupt the operating circuit for the rst of said relays,and means for preventing the subsequent operation of the first of saidrelays for an interval of time, said means comlprising a pair ofnormally closed contacts carried by reed members operatively associatedwith the second of said relays and adapted to vibrate when the operatingcircuit to said second relay is interrupted, the characteristics of theoperating circuit of said rst relay being such that the relay isnon-responsive for a period of time While said normally closed contactsare vibrating.

3. In combination oi a pair of relays, a pair of normally open contactsoperatively associated with the first of said relays and connected inseries With the operating circuit of the second of said relays, a pairof normally closed contacts operatively associated with the second ofsaid relays and connected in series in the operating circuit of the irstof said relays, a resistor in shunt connection with said normally closedcontacts, said normally closed contacts being carried on reed membersadapted to vibrate when the operating circuit to the second relay'isinterrupted, the characteristics of the operating circuit of the rstrelay being such that said relay is inoperative for a period of timewhile said normally closed contacts are vibrating, and means 4forvarying the characteristics of the operating circuit of the rst relay.

4. In combination a pair of relays, a pair of normally open contactsoperatively associated with the first of said relays and connected inseries with the operating circuit of the second of said relays, a pairof normally closed ccntacts operatively associated with the second ofsaid relays and connected in series in the operating circuit of thefirst of said relays, a resistor in shunt connection with said normallyclosed contacts, said normally closed contacts being carried on reedmembers adapted to vibrate when the operating circuit to the secondrelay is interrupted, the characteristics of the operating circuit ofthe rst relay being such that said re lay is inoperative for a period oftime While said normally closed contacts are vibrating, means forchanging the period oi vibration of one of said reed members, and meansfor varying the characteristics of the operating circuit of the firstrelay.

THOMAS R. SPALDING.

